Meeting documents
Venue: Council Chamber, King George V House, King George V Road, Amersham
Contact: Mathew Bloxham 01494 732143; email: democraticservices@chiltern.gov.uk
No. | Item |
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To receive a presentation from the Manager of Rahab Members will receive a presentation from Nicola Bell (Manager of Rahab) regarding exploitation and modern slavery. Minutes: The Chairman
welcomed Nicola Bell (Manager of Rahab) to the meeting. RHAB is a charity based
in Reading that helps people affected by different types of exploitation. The
presentation outlined different types of exploitation, the support that Rahab
and other organisations provided, statistics and cases, and advice on what to
do if you believe someone is being exploited. Following the presentation Members were
invited to ask questions and during which the following key points were noted: Official statistics on exploitation
were available from 2009 which was when the national referral mechanism
started. There had been a 30% increase in reports of exploitation between 2014
and 2016 which was believed to be due to increased awareness, and the good reporting
process in place in the UK. In reference to a historic case in
Chalfont St Peter it was asked what churches and other organisations could do
if exploitation was suspected. It was advised that Rahab’s key role was to
increase awareness and support victims. The support provided depended on the
victim’s needs, but could include supporting them with immigration issues,
accommodation and identifying financial help available. The police were also
very good at disrupting exploitation and taking forward prosecutions for crimes
committed. It was confirmed that Rahab worked
jointly with the police and other organisations internationally to educate
victims on ways of escaping exploitation. Informing victims of the support
available was also key. Rahab, when it was formed, initially
focused on sexual exploitation but has since expanded its role to cover all
forms of exploitation. As well as supporting victims and raising awareness, the
organisation had also worked with the Government on policy regarding this
issue. The Chairman then thanked Nicola Bell
for attending the meeting and answering Members questions. Note:
Councillors P Hudson, V Martin, M Harrold, E Culverhouse and H Wallace entered
the meeting at 6.32 pm, 6.36pm, 6.38pm, 6.43pm and 6.55pm respectively. |
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Leofwine Shield To present the Leofwine Shield to Linda Smith,
Chairman of Chalfont St Peter Parish Council on behalf of Chalfont St Peter
village. The Shield is awarded annually to the Town or Parish Council in
Chiltern District achieving the highest mark in the Best Kept Village
Competition. Chalfont St Peter is the 2017 winner. Minutes: The Leofwine
Shield is awarded by the Council each year to the town or village in the
district which gains the highest number of points in the Buckinghamshire Best
Kept Village Competition. Chalfont St
Peter was this year’s winners. The Chairman presented the Leofwine Shield to
Councillor Linda Smith, Chairman Chalfont St Peter Parish Council. Councillor L
Smith received the award on behalf of the village, and after reflecting on the
enormous amount of work that was involved with maintaining the various
facilities in the village to a very high standard, then thanked the officers of
Chalfont St Peter Parish Council and Councillor Darby for all the hard work
that that had been involved. |
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To approve
as a correct record and to sign the Minutes of the meeting of Council held on
11 July 2017. Minutes: The
Minutes of the meeting of Council held on 11 July 2017 were approved as a
correct record. |
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Declarations of Interest Minutes: There were
no declarations of interest. |
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Announcements To receive
any announcements from: a) Chairman b) Cabinet
Leader c) Head of
Paid Service Minutes: The
Chairman welcomed Steve Bambrick to the meeting who was the Council’s new
Director of Services. On behalf
of the Council, and all Members, the Chairman passed on his best wishes to
Councillor Derek Lacey who had recently returned home from hospital. Councillor
M Shaw would visit Councillor Lacey later that week and would pass on the kind
messages of support. All Members would be kept up to date on Councillor Lacey’s
progress. (a) Chairman’s
Announcements A
list of Engagements carried out by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the
Council between 3 July and 6 October 2017 had been circulated. The
Chairman’s quiz night on 27 October was now fully booked, and all those that
had bought tickets were thanked for their support. Christmas cards would be on
sale from 20 October with proceeds going to the Gateway, the Chairman’s
Charity. Next
year’s Chairman’s Reception would be held on 2 March. A painting, commissioned
from a local artist, would be auctioned at the event in aid of the Chairman’s
Charity. (b) Announcements
from the Leader of the Cabinet The
Leader of the Cabinet had no announcements to make. (c) Announcements
from the Head of Paid Service The
Chief Executive had no announcements to make. |
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Hackney Carriage and Private Hire policy - Licensing Committee - 17 July 2017 PDF 37 KB Minutes: The
Council considered the recommendation of the Licensing Committee meeting held
on 17 July 2017 that the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing
Policy be adopted and takes effect from 1 December 2017. The Licensing Team
were thanked for their work on developing the Policy. It was moved
by Councillor J Rush, seconded by Councillor C Jackson and RESOLVED - That the draft Hackney
Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy be adopted and takes effect from 1
December 2017. |
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Licensing Act 2003 Policy Review 2017 - Licensing Committee - 17 July 2017 PDF 35 KB Minutes: The
Council considered the recommendation of the Licensing Committee meeting held
on 17 July 2017 that the revised draft Licensing Act 2003 Policy Statement be
adopted and takes effect from 13 November 2017. The Council was required to
review the Policy, and one key proposed change was the introduction of a
Neighbour Notification Policy, and Councillor P Hudson was thanked for his
involvement with this. It was
moved by Councillor J Rush, seconded by Councillor C Jackson and RESOLVED - That the revised draft
Licensing Act 2003 Policy Statement be adopted and takes effect from 13
November 2017. |
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Planning Committee - 10 August 2017 - Local Authority Application CH/2017/1208/TP PDF 31 KB Additional documents: Minutes: The Council
considered the recommendation of the Planning Committee meeting held on 10
August 2017 that application CH/2017/1208/TP for the felling of two ash trees
and crown reduction of a holly - all protected by a Tree Preservation Order be
approved subject to conditions. It was moved
by Councillor D Phillips, seconded by Councillor M Titterington and RESOLVED - That application
CH/2017/1208/TP for the felling of two ash trees and crown reduction of a holly
- all protected by a Tree Preservation Order be approved subject to the
conditions as set out in the report. |
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Minutes: The
Council considered the recommendation of the Appointment of External Members
Panel meeting held on 6 September 2017 to appoint 2 Independent Persons under
Section 28 of the Localism Act 2011. It was
moved by Councillor I Darby , seconded by Councillor G Harris and On being
put to the vote by a show of hands it was unanimously RESOLVED - That Full Council agrees
to appoint Elizabeth Jones and to re-appoint Caroline Langley as Independent
Persons for a term of 5 years. |
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Pay Policy Statement 2017/18 - Joint Staffing Committee - 11 October 2017 PDF 58 KB Minutes: The
Council was required to publish a pay policy statement each year. Members
considered the recommendation of the Joint Staffing Committee meeting held on 6
September 2017 that the Pay Policy Statement 2017/18 be adopted. It was
moved by Councillor I Darby , seconded by Councillor M Stannard and RESOLVED - That the Pay Policy
Statement 2017/18 be adopted. |
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Brownfield Land Register PDF 60 KB Minutes: A new statutory requirement meant that the
Council was to prepare and publish a Brownfield Land Register for Chiltern
District. The Cabinet at the meeting held on 19 September 2017 agreed the draft
Register for consultation, subject to all Members receiving a copy of the draft
Register. The Council was required to publish Part 1 of the Register by 31
December 2017, and update this each year. The document would also form part of
the Local Plan. The Cabinet recommended that Council
agree that the decision to enter land in Part 2 of the Register be delegated to
the Planning Committee, and be treated in the same way as other planning
applications so that any Chiltern Councillor could refer a proposed entry into
Part 2 of the Register to Planning Committee for consideration. The Council
were therefore asked to agree the recommendations of the Cabinet. It was moved
by Councillor P Martin , seconded by Councillor I Darby and RESOLVED - 1. Â Â Â Â Â That the decision to enter land in Part 2 of the Brownfield
Land Register be delegated to the Planning Committee; be dealt with under the
Scheme of Officer Delegations in the same way as planning applications,
including being subject to a Chiltern District Member referring a proposed
entry in Part 2 of the Register to the Planning Committee for consideration
where appropriate. 2.      That the Head of
Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to amend the Council’s Constitution
to reflect the new Brownfield Land Register functions and associated
delegations. |
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Verbal Reports from the Leader, Cabinet Members or Chairman of a Committee To receive and consider verbal update reports (if any) from the Members listed above, and to answer questions on any of those reports from any Member of the Council in accordance with Rule 9.1 of the Procedural Rules. Minutes: Councillor F Wilson: Discretionary
Business Rate Relief A
revaluation of all business premises took effect from April 2017 and in the
Spring 2017 Budget the Government announced funding to support those businesses
adversely affected. The Council would receive £196,000 in the first year and
additional funding for a further three years on a reducing basis. A
Discretionary Business Rate Relief Scheme, based on a standard scheme that had
been developed across Buckinghamshire, was also in place. A summary of the key
eligibility requirements for the relief available were noted. IRRV 2017 Revenues Team of the Year
and Excellence in Partnership working Awards Councillor
F Wilson congratulated the Joint Revenues Team on receiving two highly
commended national awards from the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation
on Revenues Team of the Year and Excellence in Partnership working. The Revenues Team had been a shared service
for just over a year and the awards were a testament to the team’s success.
Thanks were expressed to all the Joint Revenues Team for their hard work and
high performance. Councillor P Martin: Local Plan
Update All
Members were reminded that a meeting of the Chiltern & South Bucks Joint
Planning Policy Member Reference Group would be held on 18 October at Capswood,
and that they were welcome to attend. The agenda contained a number of
important items, including infrastructure provision and possible changes to the
timetable for the Joint Local Plan. Councillor M Stannard: Leisure
Centre A second
round of consultation on the proposed development of Chiltern Pools had been
carried out. One of the questions related to the proposed land swap with
Amersham Town Council to enable the proposed development to include part of
King George V playing field. The second consultation also sought to gauge to
what extent the revised proposals addressed community requirements. The
consultation details had been well publicised and were also included in the
Amersham Town newsletter. Overall the feedback had been positive, and the key
headline results were noted. The Council was now looking at the next stages of
the project that included appointing an architect to draw up proposals. Councillor I Darby: Amersham
Multi-storey Car Park Members
received an update on Amersham Multi Storey Car Park. It was noted that the
contractor (Balfour Beatty) had now taken possession of the site and had
started work on Monday 16 October. Fencing had been erected with machinery and
welfare facilities now on site. Construction excavation activities would start
on Thursday 19 October. Hoarding around the site was scheduled to go up the
following week with designs including the ‘Investing in Amersham’ theme. Advice
had been provided to users of the alternative parking options which included
season ticket holders and Council staff. Up to date information on the project
was available to the public via www.chiltern.gov.uk
and via social media. Updates to residents would continue throughout the
construction, and the Council would liaise with local businesses prior to the
Christmas shopping period. The project was due for completion in November 2018.
Councillor I Darby: Chiltern and
South Bucks Lottery The
Council had set up a lottery to help support local charities. Tickets would be
available from 24 October and could be purchased from local groups and the
Council’s website. The first draw would take place on 25 November with prizes
ranging from £250 to £25,000. Safe Place Scheme The Safe
Place scheme provides vulnerable people a short term 'Safe Place' to go if they
are feeling vulnerable when they are out in their local town. Shops, businesses
and public buildings who are a Safe Place will display the Safe Place sticker
in their window so that people know where to go if they are feeling vulnerable.
Residents could also carry a Safe Place Member Card so that people know that a
person is feeling vulnerable. Residents and businesses can contact the
Community Safety Team (01494 586535; communitysafety@chiltern.gov.uk) to
request a card or register as a Safe Place.Â
The list of participating premises is available via: http://www.chiltern.gov.uk/safeplacescheme
Crematorium update Councillor
I Darby provided an update on progress with the new Crematorium being built in
Bierton by the Chilterns Crematorium Joint Committee. Initial site clearance
works will start on site week commencing 23 October, and construction would
last around one year. Dialogue with local residents would continue throughout
the construction phase, and would include liaison meetings, newsletters and
site visits. Further work would be carried out to advertise the new
Crematorium, and plan for its official opening.Â
HS2 The
Council was working to ensure that HS2’s community engagement team kept
residents informed. It was noted that HS2 had launched a community engagement
strategy, and from Spring 2018 HS2 would also have its own website. Councillor J Gladwin: Audit &
Standards Committee update Members
noted that at the Audit and Standards Committee meeting held on 27 September
Members approved the Council’s Statement of Accounts 2016/17 and audit. The
audit opinion was unqualified. The pressure would continue into next year as
the deadline for the statement of accounts to be approved and their audit
completed had been brought forward to the end of July. Thanks were expressed to
officers, the Finance Team in particular, for all their hard work to ensure the
deadline was met. Questions without Notice on any
Verbal Report In
accordance with Rule 9.1 of the Council Procedure Rules Members were permitted
to ask questions on any of the reports from Members made under this item. Councillor
P Jones, in reference to the verbal report on Amersham Multi Storey Car Park,
was pleased to note that the comments made by the Planning Committee meeting
held on 22 June 2017 regarding maintaining good relations with residents living
nearby to the site had been taken on board, and it was hoped that this would
continue. Councillor
P Jones was pleased to note the recent awards that the Joint Revenues Team had
received, and reminded Members that the Team had received a similar achievement
award several years previously which illustrated that the Team was committed to
delivering a sustained high performing service. It was asked if the Chief
Executive could pass on Members’ thanks to the Team. Note: Councillor P Jones left the
meeting at 7.32pm. |
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Vote of Thanks: Joint Revenues Team Minutes: In light of
the Joint Revenues Team’s success in receiving two awards for 2017 Revenues
Team of the Year, and Excellence in Joint Partnership Working, it was moved by
Councillor I Darby, and seconded by Councillor P Martin, and RESOLVED - That Members express a vote
of thanks to the Joint Revenues Team for their recent success in receiving two
awards for the 2017 Revenues Team of the Year, and Excellence Joint Partnership
Working. |
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Questions with Notice (if any) The
Chairman of the Council; Cabinet Leader or a Cabinet Member; or Chairman of any
Committee to receive a question on any matter in relation to which the Council
has powers or duties or which affects the District. Questions must be given in writing
to the proper officer 3 clear days before the meeting, or if it relates to urgent
business by 4pm on the day of the meeting, in accordance with Rule 9.2 of the
Council Procedure Rules. Minutes: There were
no questions. |
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Petitions (if any) To receive
petitions and/or deputations (if any) from members of the public including
provisions allowing members to ask questions of clarification at the discretion
of the Chairman and restrictions on deputations covering the same subject or by
the same speakers. Minutes: No petitions were presented. |
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Joint Arrangements and Outside Organisations (if any) To
receive reports about and receive questions and answers relating to any joint
arrangements or external organisations. Minutes: There were
no reports. |
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Motions (if any) Written notice
of every motion, signed by at least 2 Members, must be delivered to the proper
officer at least 7 clear days before the meeting Minutes: No Motions
had been received. |
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Local Government Act 1972 - Section 85 Attendance Dispensation PDF 40 KB Minutes: Due to
ill-health, Councillor Derek Lacey had been unable to attend a meeting of the
authority or of an outside body since 17 May 2017. Section 85 of the Local
Government Act 1972 states that if a Councillor fails over a period of six
consecutive months from the date of their last attendance to attend any meeting
of the Authority they shall cease to be a Councillor, unless the failure was
due to some reason approved by the authority before the expiry of that period. Members noted
that Councillor Lacey had recently returned home following a period of ill
health and 4 months in hospital. In light of the circumstances it was proposed
that the Council exercises its powers under the Local Government Act to grant a
dispensation to the attendance rules for Councillor Lacey for a period of 3
meeting cycles (to the Annual meeting of Council on 15 May 2018). It was moved
by Councillor D Phillips, seconded by Councillor J MacBean and RESOLVED - That the Council exercises its powers under Section 85(1) of the
Local Government Act 1972, and grants a dispensation to the attendance
requirements for elected members in recognition of Councillor Derek Lacey’s
ill-health for three meeting cycles (to the Annual Meeting of Council on 15 May
2018). |
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Changes to appointments to Committees and Outside Bodies Council to agree the appointment of a Councillor to Chesham Community Interest Company. This is a new appointment arising from agreement at the 19 September 2017 Cabinet meeting that the Council be a Member of the Chesham Community Interest Company. Minutes: At the Cabinet
meeting held on 19 September 2017 it was agreed that the Council would become a
Member of the Chesham Renaissance Community Interest Company (CIC). The Council
was therefore asked to agree the appointment of a Councillor to the Chesham
Renaissance Community Interest Company. It was moved
by Councillor I Darby, seconded by Councillor J MacBean and RESOLVED - That Councillor M Stannard be appointed to the Chesham Renaissance
Community Interest Company. Note: Councillor J Wertheim left the
meeting at 7.37pm |
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Local Land Charge Service - Shared Service Review PDF 43 KB Minutes: Consideration
was given to the report arising from the Local Land Charge Service Shared Service
Review which was the final shared service review to be considered. It was
moved by Councillor M J Stannard, seconded by Councillor I A Darby and RESOLVED - 1. Â Â Â Â Â That the case for a
Local Land Charge Service is proven, and that both Councils should proceed to
establish a Shared Local Land Charge Service; i) That, subject to consultation with staff and a formal agreement
between the Councils, the services of staff in Chiltern District Council’s Land
Charge Service be put at the disposal of South Bucks District Council under
Section 113 of the Local Government Act 1972 so they can work across the two
local authority areas; and  ii) That the Chief Executive in consultation with the Cabinet Leader
and Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to finalise the terms
of any legal documentation required to give effect to recommendation 2 above. |